Objectives:


1. Communicative Competence:
a) Orally:
  • Reception: understanding authentic, complex linguistic material (with visual support)
  • Production: coherent, detailed statements in different contexts, autonomous presentations
  • Interaction: personal opinion, discussions, longer/simple conversations

b) Written:
  • Reception: complex, authentic, discontinuous texts
  • Production: texts concerning own experience, reports, structured notes and messages, creative writing
  • Interaction: personal/simple formal letters, translation of selected texts

2. Language Awareness:
  • year 9: complete acquisition of basic structures (grammar, pronunciation/intonation, vocabulary), which are used correctly and can be applied to previously unknown structures
  • year 10: focus on developing language awareness and reflection on linguistic structures

  • grammar
    • reflect on basic structures in English and discover similarities and differences between L1 and other L2s
  • vocabulary:
    • are able to communicate on more than their particular personal experiences as teenagers; are able to spell words of their active vocabulary correctly
    • paraphrase missing words
  • pronunciation/intonation
    • adapt their clear and natural pronunciation to English varieties
    • are able to understand national and regional varieties on a basic level

3. Ability to reflect on texts
  • text types/ form and function
    • produce and identify basic text types by typical features
    • detect, name and analyze textual characteristics concerning language, form and respective function
  • meaning/interpretation
    • use appropriate terms to interpret and comment on texts on a basic level and give reasons for their opinions
    • understand particular literary texts within their socio-cultural backgrounds and interrelate them to some extend
  • compare different ways of representation different media use to deal with a topic
  • link literary knowledge and skills to general knowledge and knowledge gained in other subjects

4. Intercultural Communicative Competence:
  • to develop a fundamental cultural awareness
  • to consider and discuss social and ethnic issues
  • to reflect about human behaviour and norms as well as about stereotypes and prejudices
  • to relate their own culture and other cultures on certain levels
  • to become a linguistic and cultural mediator in certain situations

5. Awareness of Language Learning Strategies:
  • to have a repertoire of subject-related strategies, to reflect and adapt them
  • to reflect on individual learning processes
  • to use information sources critically
  • to plan and carry out learning tasks
  • to present results adequately

Topics and Contents:

LB 1: strategies
  • to have a repertoire of strategies for the acquisition of and reflection of linguistic means
  • to apply individually adapted strategies to safeguard knowledge
  • to apply knowledge of the maternal and foreign for the acquisition of and the comparison of grammatical structures
  • to apply strategies of text comprehension
  • to apply secondary reading strategies
  • to apply strategies of productive language use
  • to apply strategies related to learning processes (e.g. searching information --> internet)
  • to apply strategies of presentation (e.g. media-supported presentations)

LB 2: linguistic basics
  • knowledge of tense forms and aspects
  • application of complex structures, such as: modals, emphase
  • application of complex structures which differ from German, such as: "lassen", gerund, participle constructions, verbs of rest & motion, verbs of perception
  • application of a differentiated lexicon
  • master word formation elements to develop new words independently
  • master basic vocabulary to apply paraphrasing & explaining
  • master essential terms for textual and reading literacy
  • knowledge of difference between formal & informal English
  • knowledge of language variances in English
  • insights into English as a “Lingua Franca”

LB 3: Texts and topics
  • based on the development and mastering of extended general and linguistic knowledge in the respective field:
    • working with texts: apply textual knowledge to age-specific literary (novels, poetry, short stories) and non-literary (speeches, advertisement, scientific texts) texts
    • personal identity: form an opinion about conflicts (peer pressure, stress, crime, drugs) and finding your own identity
    • education, jobs and career: apply knowledge of application, CV, exchange programmes
    • media and communication: apply knowledge of the role of different media and the respective ways of representation they use; evaluate influence of the media critically (analyze/ create advertisements)
    • (inter-)cultural studies: apply knowledge of Europe, English as a world language, travelling abroad; knowledge of particular cultures of the English-speaking world
    • social studies: role of Washington D.C., race relations (civil rights movement), political/social involvement (current political, social and environmental issues)
    • science and technology: know and form an opinion about influential developments (genetic engineering, technological progress)
    • history: knowledge of important historical developments throughout the English-speaking world

Compulsory electives (based on the development of extended linguistic knowledge in the respective field)
  • English-speaking parts of the World (in-depth knowledge of one specific region)
  • Addictions (typical problems of younger people, application to own experiences)
  • English Cooking (knowledge of particular kinds of food of different English-speaking countries; translating/writing recipes)
  • Natives and Immigrants (knowledge of particular cultures/ famous emigrants/immigrants, form an opinion on the topic)
  • The Language of Rock and Pop Music (knowledge of different English rock/pop songs within socio-cultural background, application to a chosen song)

Occasions for working with digital media

  • tutorial on how to critically evaluate web resources
  • independent websearches on several topics (developments in history/science/technology, see Texts and topics) combined with presentations using PowerPoint, PREZI or other PC presentation tools
  • using word processors to write applications for specific exchange programmes (based on previous web research)
  • create more complex texts: advertisements by using Publisher/ film making software; podcasts
  • compare and evaluate e- and printed newspapers
  • create websites/Wikis on English Cooking and Cultures incorporating own recipes (compare text types in different media: written recipes/ videos)
  • addictions: evaluate what other teenagers posted on relevant forums (evaluate discussion forums); search for information where to get help
  • create Google maps for important developments in history/ different cultures of the English-speaking world/ Englishes around the world - using it as a tutor or a tool (simple example, see http://www.mibazaar.com/ushistory/, introduction, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI5_x_6K-A0 )
  • watch YouTube videos to analyse spoken language/ non-verbal features of speeches and influences of respective medium (extended reflection on text types, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otA7tjinFX4&feature=fvw)

Projects


A year abroad - Writing CVs
This six-lesson project enables students to write a CV including a personal statement. As it addresses year 9 students who are asked to select an exchange program of their own choice and requires the use of a word processor, it offers a real life writing task. Additionally, it allows pupils to monitor their own writing process and highlights the function of the layout.

Objectives: The students are expected to…
  • recall their knowledge of writing CVs (purpose, features, structure)
  • identify important features/structure of a CV by analyzing given examples
  • compare and contrast a German and British/American CV
  • write and design an application meeting the requirements of a chosen exchange organization
  • do a web search for an exchange program/organization and application requirements
  • use Microsoft Word for writing and designing their applications
  • use Word’s comments feature for editing CVs of fellow students
  • monitor their own writing process (planning, structuring, drafting, re-drafting)

Media/preconditions:
  • computer, internet access
  • basic skills in using word processors and doing web searches
  • sample CVs

Methodological Comments:
  • using a word processor allows for process-oriented writing (spelling correction, comment feature for editing CVs of fellow students, comments and drafts can be easily printed/saved, importance of layout)
  • group work: web research
  • partner work: editing process
  • individual work: writing, re-drafting

Project plan:
lesson 1 (A year abroad): familiarizing students with idea to spend a year abroad (going to school, au pair, summer camps, internship) - inviting students of higher levels who spent some time abroad
lesson 2 (components/structure of CVs): brainstorming (recalling purpose/parts/structure); analyzing example CVs (parts/layout/comparing German and British/American CVs)
lesson 3 (student interview): interviewing a student who spent a year abroad (application, experiences, etc.)
lesson 4 (requirements/drafting): web search (exchange program/requirements for CV), writing the 1st draft
lesson 5 (editing): exchange with partner (using the comments feature and checking for spelling, structure, layout and if requirements of the chosen organization are met), re-drafting (use comments to rewrite and correct CVs)
lesson 6 (final CV): writing the final CV drawing attention to layout, evaluating writing process

Teenagers on the internet - Creating blogs (topic: teen world)

This project is based on one of the elective topics „cooking“ and is based on cooperation with a class (or several classes) of a foreign English speaking country. The students are asked to create and design their own blog, then finding, translating and publishing recipes in exchange of recipes of the English speaking students. Along with the recipes the students are supposed to put cultural information (e.g.: Christmas – Weihnachtsstollen etc.). The blog will function as a portfolio and soon be a collection of cooking recipes as much as cultural background knowledge. The students will be asked to cook at least one of the foreign recipes in a group (at home) and put their experiences, pictures , photos and the like on the blog. The blog's purpose is also to enable a communication among several students situated in different countries.

Objectives: Students are expected to
  • do a web research on blogs (topic: elective)
  • analyze blog (layout, content)
  • design their own blog (www.wordpress.com)
  • continuous work on blog

Media/preconditions:
  • computer, internet access
  • basic skills in doing web searches are required
  • example blogs
  • tutorials

Methodological Comments:
  • electronic literacy: using blogs
  • group work: project work, foster social skills, real-life communication

Project plan:
lesson 1 (What is a blog? components/structure): introduction/analysis (purpose, topics, structure, layout) of an example (see English G 21, p. 6); group formation and project introduction (Task: Find and present a blog of your choice!)
lesson 2 (analysis): students find, analyze and prepare presentation of their blogs
lesson 3 (How to create a blog): tutorial I: account on wordpress, brainstorming blog topic
lesson 4 (How to create a blog): tutorial II
lesson 5 (Creating the blog): students work on their own blogs framed by the elective “cooking”
lesson 6 (Evaluation): in-class evaluation of blogs
lesson 7 (...): task: regular posts/comments during school year (continuous text production and monitoring)